Welcome to the latest edition of Movie Scribe Online Newsletter (3/2000) which is published by script consultant Craig Kellem (and contributed to by Colin Chapman (http://www.chapmanfilm.com).
You are receiving this newsletter because you expressed an interest in screenwriting by subscribing to this newsletter; requested a read or a free query letter evaluation from Hollywoodscript.Com(s) Craig Kellem, or requested a copy of Colin Chapman's screenplay, "Smoke and Mirrors."
The purpose of this newsletter is to share information, ideas etc. concerning the fascinating (and elusive) world of screenwriting.
In the last issue of my newsletter, I included part one of a two part article which I called, "It's the Story Stupid." The idea was to make the argument that the story in a screenplay is always the "thread" that carries the day. "If the story doesn't work then the script won't work." Some may disagree with this notion. I understand. A recent e-mail that I received reflects the nervousness of those who fear that the "rules" of story structure might inhibit their creativity.
"I have have been reading a lot about structure lately. There sure are some conflicting schools of thought. What I was wondering was...Do you think that every screenplay absolutely, positively has to have some kind of act structure, capped off with a suspenseful ending? Or, is it enough if you take the reader into the world of the characters, show life from their POV, and how they react to one another, ending with their stories simply having been told? (of course in the most entertaining way possible)"
So the real issue may be this--Is unconventional storytelling and the traditional "rule(s)" of story structure mutually exclusive? I think not. What I really believe is, if you play your cards "right" you can have it both ways. But, deft story planning must be part and parcel to the equation.
Creating story is (among other things), an act of organization. There are other organizational prerequisites for writing a script, all of which lead back to story management.
The pool - (squirreling). Most material comes to us in fragmented images. You have a notion, perhaps the main concept. Maybe you have a few scenes in mind - The Big Moment, The Showdown, The Climax. Let's say that you're also beginning to get a sense of your characters. But, at this stage of the game, there is usually a preponderance of holes and spaces. There is work to be done and, in this "neighborhood," the devil's definitely in the details.
My advice, start slapping down your ideas on index cards. Take your time. Scenes, pieces of scenes, possibilities for scenes - jot them all down. Put them on the wall. Live with them, tweak, adjust, hone and develop them. Co-exist with their incompleteness. Be content with your work in progress.
Now, wait for your subconscious to create new ideas. When the subconscious begins to take your artistic intentions seriously, it will begin to deliver additional ideas and insights. This is a great place to be. A good sign is when it starts to flow with such velocity that it begins to dominate your affairs. Like when you're driving your car and your mind suddenly begins to flood with goodies. The ideas are potent. You don't trust your memory and the risk of forgetting terrifies you. So you find yourself tearing apart your glove compartment, desperately searching for a piece of paper and a pencil while trying to steer at the same time. You're lucky if you find an edge of a road map to make your creative deposits, but it is worth it because you're flowing.
Holes begin to fill in. Scenes start to grow and take form. You're moving!
Now, there are scenes and there are scenes. Let's talk about this. Scenes serve two purposes: to further the plot and also to provide intrinsic entertainment value. So, it's essential ON A CONCEPTUAL LEVEL to "load up" your intended scene to such an extent that when you finally get to write it in your script, it will be next to impossible not to write it well. This is because you're now working with a stacked deck.
An example of what I'm talking about (a "transitional" scene which evolved into a humdinger) was in the movie City Slickers when Billy Crystal and the boys were riding back to the ranch. As stated, what could have been just a "filler" scene was not (because the writers waited for the extra magic to hatch). So the idea was born for the guys not only to make the trip back but also to do something really interesting. What resulted was an effective and potent chat in which they described the best and worst days of their lives. What a fine concept. They confessed to each other, bonded and fascinated us all at the same time. The "punch line" of the scene was when one of them told a touching story and concluded that what had happened on that particularly significant day amounted to both the best AND the worst day of his life. My point here is that a scene this well conceived would be difficult not to write effectively.
Here's a litmus test for scene creation: Do you have a better idea or a better way to do it? Is there any way you can tweak it, make it cuter, turn up the heat, spruce it up? Anything else you can pack into the scene?
And, ask yourself this: Could I show this scene to someone, on its own, and feel confident that it will "work" on its own intrinsic merit." If that's not the case, then you need to work it over until you can.
So, you have an idea and you are working on the "pool." The bank is beginning to bulge. What's next? How about sprinkling the projected scenes over our old friend, the three act structure. What belongs in the set-up? (Act one) What fits into the actual telling of the story? (Act Two). What scene should be placed in the "how it all turns out" portion? (Act Three). Also, can act two be divided into two acts to give it even more shape and direction?
Why all of these routines and road signs? That's easy. Screenplays are big and unruly. You can get lost in their breadth. Three or four acts help to ground it, make it more bite sized. Additionally, it also gives you at least three moments in the script that are going to be extra climatic (ie: the end of act one; the end of act two (part one); the end of act two (part two) etc. Finally, it gives you something to go for. (For this reason TV movies can be much easier to write than features because they require seven acts (that's six act breaks - plot twisting, climatic, breathless moments to look forward to). Think of each of them as an oasis.
Now what, - break it down even further. If you were designing the Empire State Building, you would have separate plans for every component of the building. The plumbing, the electrical system, the elevators. Each would be carefully designed in a linear fashion. How could it be any other way? If elements were not clearly defined, individually planned and developed, disaster could strike. Same with a screenplay.
So let me teach you a card trick of the index variety.
Let's say that you have a pretty good sense of your story trajectory. And your scene inventory is bulging with juicy possibilities (you've waited patiently for optimal growth). But you're loaded with subplots, tangents, "runners" (ie: very short subplots) and the like. And you're not sure it will all hang together. It's massive. It's hard to fully comprehend the totality of your creation.
Suggestions:
1. Break up your story into individual (sub) stories via cards. (blue cards for the "A" story. Green cards for the main subplot and so forth) (note: story overlap at this stage is fine)
2. Now, for each story, write down the main plot points. (ie: a subplot might use nineteen cards; a "runner" four; the main story thirty etc).
3. Now each story is layed out, sporting its own individual "spine."
Now the test: Look at each story on a microscopic level. Does it have a beginning, middle and end? Is it fat or skinny or just right? Is it balanced? Does it have a surprise or two? Does it have a pay-off? Has it fulfilled whatever thematic idea you're going for? Can you tell the story to someone clearly, confidently and without their eyes glazing over? Is it ready?
The magic of index cards is that LESS is better. Writers often resort to hearty rationalization during the difficult period of preparing their script. They are surrounded by so much material that, when difficulty arrives, they always have their "greatest moments" to fall back on.
Thus, it can be both healthy and delightfully frightening when you take your story down to the level of naked plot points. No hilarious jokes inhibit your clarity. You don't have those five "can't miss" pages to admire and soothe you.
This process is like looking at yourself in an unflattering mirror on a bad hair day. You're looking at your B story. It has seventeen scenes. Each scene is described in only a few words There's no fat to inhibit the exam. It either works or it doesn't. YOU CAN SEE IT!!"
After launching this process, you will have various horizontal arcs of each and every story, large and small draped proudly on your wall, subject to scrutiny and adjustment. Like a general you get to inspect your troops, lined up, out in the open, readiness or lack there of apparent. Your whole movie will be in front of your eyes. And you will be able to see it as if you had x-ray vision. The brown cards are Joe's story; the yellow cards are Joanne's and the "runner" is on the white cards that you threw in. And there's the act breaks--tent poles indicating plot twists -beginning, middle and end. What a sense of orchestration and order.
Some may balk at the lack of literary Bohemianism to this approach. But is a philharmonic orchestra leader lacking in artistic acumen when she/he examines the arrangements of the string section, and then the brass section and so forth. I think not.
Story maladies can dramatically affect the potential of a screenplay; they're definitely the usual suspects. When a producer sits down to read the script and something is wrong, dollars to donuts it's story related and could have been prevented by deft preparation and scrutiny on the assembly line.
Once you have all your ducks in order, the big moment has arrived. It's time to put all of the cards together in one big train.
There's your movie!
(A tip, make sure each story is on different colored cards so that you can see how each story lays out individually within the train).
Now, there is one other great asset to this approach. Once the script is written, if something is not working, you have a blueprint to access in your hunt for clues, a real opportunity to find a fault in the original design. What an asset this can be in identifying the culprit.
It will pay off.
By the way, a TV series, FBI-The Untold Stories on which I served as Co-Executive Producer (it originally aired on ABC-TV) is now running nationally, twice a day on the History Channel, at 11 am and 4pm. Check it out.
Here's something that sounds like a good thing. There's a FREE online class at Hollywoodlitsales.com with Steve Tisch, producer of "Forrest Gump," "Risky Business," etc and the principals of Black & Blu Ent., who have a deal at Sony. There will be a Q&A session so come prepared with questions. The class will be held online Wed., Feb 16th at 7PM, PST. You don't need any special software to attend. If you're interested, visit: http://www.Hollywoodlitsales.com
If you want to find out more about Hollywoodscript.com and the work we do with screenwriters and their scripts, please visit my site at http://www.hollywoodscript.com
(The above article will be published in edition of ScreenTalk - The Journal of International Screenwriting Vol. 2, #2 -- 2000. http://www.screentalk.org/ezine.htm
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Copyright 2000 Craig Kellem |
